"PelicanHazard" (pelicanhazard)
03/24/2014 at 10:16 • Filed to: seat belts, driver problems, fiat 500, new driver
0
25|
"PelicanHazard" (pelicanhazard)
03/24/2014 at 10:16 • Filed to: seat belts, driver problems, fiat 500, new driver | 0
| 25 |
Opponauts, my girlfriend and I have encountered an unusual problem in the quest to get her licensed, and it comes not from the typical sources of other drivers or ignorance of technique, but from the seatbelt.
You see, my girlfriend is short. Once the seating position is properly adjusted for her, this causes the seatbelt to push into her neck rather than being centered properly on her shoulder/collarbone. Her FIAT 500 does not have a seatbelt height adjustment, and we can't push the seat back or else she can't fully depress the brake pedal.
Is there something we can do or buy that will correct this without compromising the function of the belt? We have some leeway in seat height and seatback rake adjustment, but from our fiddlings it didn't seem to do enough. Any and all help is much appreciated.
crowmolly
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:20 |
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Are you in the USA and a AAA member? No joke, this is something they can help with. Do not use an extender.
Slant6
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:20 |
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Would this help?
jariten1781
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:20 |
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My wife has had to use seat cushions on some cars. Usually raising the seat and pushing it really far forward works out though.
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PelicanHazard
> crowmolly
03/24/2014 at 10:20 |
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How would AAA help?
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PelicanHazard
> jariten1781
03/24/2014 at 10:21 |
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Hm, I'm not sure if we maxed out the seat height adjustment, but we can give it a try. Moving farther forward isn't much of an option as then her arms get kind of compressed, but we'll also try that.
'Wägen, EPA LOL
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:22 |
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or
or
or lastly try increasing the seat height (subaru shown below)
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crowmolly
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:22 |
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In my area they do carseat inspections and installations for children and have people who are highly educated in seat safety. THIS IS NOT A CHEAP SHOT but since your gf is smaller some of the tips for kids might help.
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PelicanHazard
> Slant6
03/24/2014 at 10:23 |
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Perhaps, although it would cover up the seat flip lever to access the back seat, but we don't use it much. Got a link?
yamahog
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:24 |
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Cram a racing seat with a five-point harness in there?
Also I'm pretty short and have the same problem, haven't done anything about it though. My sister is even shorter and has a large cushion for her seat to help out.
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'Wägen, EPA LOL
> 'Wägen, EPA LOL
03/24/2014 at 10:24 |
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Holy Kinja; this looks effed up!
Party-vi
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:24 |
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I've got the same issue in my E46. It sounds like you need a seat belt pad.
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PelicanHazard
> 'Wägen, EPA LOL
03/24/2014 at 10:24 |
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Will give them all a look, thanks.
ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:24 |
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She will need to raise her seating position until the belt sits correctly.
Also, why does it matter that the belt is positioned correctly in terms of getting licensed? Obviously it's important for safety, but if her seating position is such that she can use all the controls properly, and she can prove to be a competent driver based on the testing standards of your local jurisdiction, then shouldn't she be able to get a license regardless of how well she fits into the range of parameters chosen by Fiat when building the 500?
Also, it sounds like Fiat should have included adjustable should-strap mounting points on every 500.
Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:24 |
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I know there's something called a "seatbelt adjuster clip" or something, but I have no idea how such a thing would act in an incident..
Grigore
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:25 |
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Get a full sized girlfriend.
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PelicanHazard
> ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
03/24/2014 at 10:26 |
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Poor phrasing on my part. Yes, she can indeed get licensed with the belt the way it is, this is just a matter of safety. Although I don't think she'd take the licensing test without first sorting this belt issue out.
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PelicanHazard
> Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
03/24/2014 at 10:27 |
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That's what I was concerned about, my initial searches turned up stuff like this that looks like it doesn't hold the torso secure. Luckily other Opponauts posted here about adjusters that clip to the seat through the headrest posts, so those may work.
area man
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:29 |
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You know what they say about short girls!
But seriously, would a cushion help if you've maxed out the seat height? That way her upper body is in a better position for the seatbelt and it should just affect the angle she pushes the pedal at, not her ability to depress it fully. I'm not familiar with the 500's pedal setup though.
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PelicanHazard
> area man
03/24/2014 at 10:34 |
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500 is pretty standard on pedal setup, just has a more upright seating position than a normal car. More like a minivan or SUV.
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ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:43 |
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Without getting the dealer to install an adjustable mounting point for her, she can either use cushions to sit higher, or just deal with the belt being out of position.
I doubt they would fail her based on her car's lack of adjustability.
She must be tiny.
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PelicanHazard
> ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
03/24/2014 at 10:45 |
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Depending on who's measuring her and how rigorous they are about posture determines whether she's over 5 feet tall or not.
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ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 10:54 |
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My wife has an aunt who is like 4'9" or something. I know she uses a cushion to sit high enough to see over the wheel. Not sure what she does about the shoulder belt. Probably puts it under her arm to keep it off her neck.
Broken ribs are better than a broken neck.
Mattbob
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 11:07 |
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This:
http://www.toysrus.com/buy/car-seat-a…
and this for good measure:
http://www.tiddybearcomfortstrap.com/
deekster_caddy
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 11:13 |
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5 point harness?
MonkeePuzzle
> PelicanHazard
03/24/2014 at 12:00 |
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bad but funny suggestion:
legit suggestion from the buffalo wild wings ad, note the simple metal adjuster, we actually use these in my car
